Trial is Over But Verdict Will Wait in St. Louis Police Murder Case

(SBN) — Closing arguments have wrapped up a but there’s no verdict in the trial of a former St. Louis police officer who shot and killed a suspect in 2011.

A judge has given both sides until August 18 to submit post-trial briefs, after which he will render a verdict.

Jason Stockley is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 24-year old Anthony Lamar Smith in 2011. Stockely testified that he saw Smith holding a gun and he felt he was in imminent danger. Smith was shot five times.

Prosecutors say police dashboard video, surveillance camera footage and a bystander cellphone video show Stockley “executing” Smith after a police chase, while defense says the same videos show Stockley acting “reasonable” in self-defense.

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